Zoom Lens Help!

Nikkisun

My son (16) has just entered the world of DSLR and bought himself an Olympus E-420 which came with a Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm lens (means nothing to me!!).

He wants a zoom lens for it and I was thinking of getting him one before we go to Florida as an early birthday present but to be honest I'm a point'n'click kind of girl and have no idea where to start or what all the funny numbers mean!

Can anyone recommend a lens for him that won't break the bank?!

kaya

i would wait till i got to florida and buy one there, you will save a good few quid if you buy an olympus one, i have a sigma one for my nikon, cheap n cheerfull but perfectly functional

ManAtHome

If you do find any USA prices - you can get a 40-150mm zoom over here for around £100 (don't know if that'll work out more expensive or not).

The numbers are just how 'zoomy' each lens is - the 14-42 makes things appear up 3 times bigger as you extend the lens (42/14 = 3). The larger number is the limit, so you need to buy him a bigger one - the 40-150 will give him a total range of 14-150 (nearly 11 times overall).

kwikbreaks

It already has a zoom lens 14-42mm

I assume he wants one that offers a bit longer focal length.

You need to find out exactly what he wants because the range of available lenses for a DSLR is truly staggering (as is the price of good ones).

As has been mentioned US prices are often a lot better than UK ones so long as you don't get caught smuggling it back into the UK.

Nikkisun

Thanks - think I'll suggest to him that we get one over there then he can have a look and see exactly what he wants.

nomoneytoday

The numbers relate to focal distance (from the sensor to the end of the lens).

For wide angles shots such as landscapes you would use a low numbered lens, such as 10-20mm where as for safari shots you want the highest possible to get "closer"

The lower the f number the better as it allows for a wider aperture and more light gets into the sensor.

The trade off for these on a DSLR is the price though...

nearlyrich

Can I suggest that you go to a local independant camera shop when it's fairly quiet IE not Saturday afternoon, then you can spend some time talking to someone who knows about lenses and can show you and your son what's available, take your camera and have a try.

alanwjones

You have a PM nikky.

fitshase

I would definitely recommend going to an independent camera shop for advice. They will provide independent, unbiased , informative advice. Don't go to the likes of Jessops or Currys as they will just try to sell you something.

I have a 17-70mm lens which is a wide angle to normal lens (50mm lens is equivalent to the human eye). I also have a 70-300mm lens for long range work (like wildlife, sports, etc).

The best thing to do is look at what your son wants to take photos of an buy a lens for that as there are many different types of lenses out there which suit a variety of situations.

ukcarper

Most dslrs unless very expensive full frame models use as smaller sensor that than 35mm film therefore the 50mm becomes about 33mm Olympus are not quite the same as they use a different sensor size and I think the 50mm becomes 25mm.

Otherwise I would agree with fitshase your 14-42mm would be roughly the same as his 17-70mm and the 40-150mm as his 70-300mm. That set up covers most of what you are likely to want.

I would also agree about independent camera shops but Jessops do vary and some are ok.

Red_Rose_Exile

As a 4/3 user myself, Oly e-520, I can recommend the 40-150 (Oly sensors double the focal length equivalent. so a 40-150mm is the equivalent of a 80-300mm in 35mm terms lens). It was bundled as a kit lens with some models of the e-volt range, but was highly rated by many including DPreview.

Prices vary as to whether they are standard, high grade or super high grade(prime)

Most can be had second hand for one at around £99 from various stores. Most Camera shops buy lenses and sell them second hand

I personally use SRS (not a great selection at the moment) and ffordes, though many more stores can be found here

If he wants to develop his skill and keep costs down, I would highly recommend getting a OM to 4/3 adaptor, preferably with a dandelion) and then using old OM lens which will vastly reduce the cost of a lens, a 200mm les can be got on fleabay for as little as £30. The downside is that you can't use autofocus properly, and you have to rely on manual focusing.

Best lens for him to consider? 14-42mm (which he already has) , and possibly a Sigma 50-200mm (100-400mm equivalent) for about £150. The Sigma is slightly soft at the full telephoto, but unless he is planning on blowing images up to A0 sizes, it's barely going to be noticeable

I also have a 35mm macro lens, but obviously, as has been previously pointed out, it does depend on what he plans on photographing